


The Mind is a Funny Thing

by tinyroboboy



Category: Ninjago - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2018-02-01
Packaged: 2018-11-23 16:53:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11406579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinyroboboy/pseuds/tinyroboboy
Summary: A little story focused on Walker and Kole. It takes place very shortly after the Tournament of Elements.





	1. A Pressing Issue

**Author's Note:**

> The characters in this story are different from those in the canon-- they're from the "reverse realm", a realm that mirrors Ninjago in a distorted sort of way.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Xayn is irresponsible, okay?

"Hey, Walker… isn't it your turn to make dinner?" Garmadon asked as he banged on an unused closet door. His student spent a lot of time to himself in there, leading the others to dub it “Walker’s Cave”.  
   
Walker slid open his door and looked up at Garmadon, "No sensei, I believe it's Xayn's night."  
   
"Indeed." Garmadon replied, "I'll inform him right away."  
   
He thanked Walker and went off in search of Xayn. "Xayn? Where are you!?" Garmadon was a little irritated as he headed toward the ninja’s shared room. "Xayn are you in there?" He knocked on the door and waited for a response. "Hello?" He knocked again.  
   
"Yeah, we're in here!" Kye squeaked.  
   
"Come in sensei." Said Xayn.  
   
Garmadon opened the door and found Xayn and Kye sitting on the floor surrounded by various paints and brushes.  
   
"What is going on in here boys?" Garmadon asked.  
   
Kye looked up at Garmadon; his face was covered in paint that made him look like some sort of sea god. "Xayn was just practising some art and we kind of got carried away…"  
Garmadon rolled his eyes "That's fine just be careful." He turned to Xayn, "Xayn, you're supposed to be making dinner right now. I know you love painting but you need to remember your responsibilities."  
   
Xayn cleared off his lap, stood up, and rubbed the back of his neck "Forgive me sensei… I should've been more mindful of the time."  
   
Garmadon reached up and ruffled Xayn's hair "It's okay just get in the kitchen."  
   
••••  
   
Xayn was undecided about what to cook for dinner. He wasn't much of a cook and he certainly didn't enjoy it.  
   
Kole stumbled into the kitchen, looking for a soda. "Jeez, Xayn we're all out here starving and all I see is your butt sticking out of the fridge…" Kole shoved Xayn aside and grabbed a can of Costa-Cola, "But, for real though, where the food at?"  
   
Xayn glanced at a restaurant flier atop of a pile of junk mail that was sitting on the countertop, "It's not here" he said as he grabbed the soda from Kole's hand, "you're going to go pick it up."  
   
Kole snatched back his soda "Okay where at?"  
   
"Over at Chen's Noodle House of course." Xayn replied as he pushed Kole out of the kitchen, "It’s under Garmadon-" he said. He grabbed Kole's hood and whispered into his ear, "and try to be quick about it."  
   
Kole shuffled out of the kitchen and headed toward the couch where Garmadon was sitting with Lloyd. He stood at the back of the couch and tapped on Garmadon's shoulder. "Hey--" he whispered into his sensei's ear.  
   
Garmadon jerked and looked around "Kole! Don't scare me like that, boy!"  
   
"Oops sorry, sensei… Listen, I gotta borrow the car."  
   
Garmadon started to get up when Lloyd butt in "Where are you going, Kole?" He said.  
   
"I'm picking up dinner from Chen's. Xayn ordered it."  
   
"Oh good--" Lloyd exclaimed louder than he intended, "I mean, uh… well, Xayn's cooking isn't exactly…" He trailed off.  
   
"Edible." Garmadon finished, "Xerox, go get the keys." He asked of the Master of Form. A cute nickname the crew had adopted for Lloyd due to the fact he was, one: the purple ninja, and two: essentially a human copy machine.  
   
"Sure thing, Garmadad." Xerox said as he ripped off his blue and pink spotted baby blanket and sprang to his feet.  
   
Sounds could be heard from Garmadon's room as Xerox rustled around looking for the keys.  
   
"They're in my side table!" Garmadon yelled.  
   
"Huh? …Oh-- I found them!" He said trotting back over to the couch.  
   
Kole was now draped, upside down, over the back of the couch mindlessly watching the commercial break on TV.  
   
Xerox dangled the keys in his face making a jingling sound.  
Kole snatched them away playfully, "Thank you, buddy." He got up and started to head to the door only to be grabbed by his hood once more; this time by Garmadon.  
   
"Where do you think you're going without a buddy?" He said, "Don't think I've forgotten about that little rule."  
   
Kole rolled his eyes, "I do, like, one stupid thing and suddenly we all have to have a buddy…"  
   
Garmadon's eyes narrowed as he pulled on Kole's shredded maroon hoodie, "Don't question my fatherly discernment, Kole. I'm more than merely your sensei. I look out for you-- I know what's best." There was a moment of silence with unbearable tension. Kole was sweating as Garmadon stared him down.  
   
"WALKER!" Garmadon finally said as he let go of Kole.  
   
Walker's door slid open and he slowly traipsed through the hallway, dragging his feet. He was clothed in his casual attire- his worn out grey jeans, with a grey and tan tunic on top of his trademark base layer turtleneck.  
   
"Yes, Sensei?" He said monotone. He was wearing a roomy black hoodie with the hood up and had dark circles around his eyes-- more than the usual that is.  
   
Garmadon stood up and looked down at Walker, "What's wrong with you, boy?" He said putting his hand on Walker's forehead, "Are you feeling okay?"  
   
Walker respectfully pushed Garmadon's hand away, "I'm fine, Sensei, really." He said, his voice still flat and somewhat hoarse.  
   
Garmadon pulled off Walker's hood and looked at his dull blue eyes- they were slightly glazed over. His hair was tangled and caught in his headband.  
   
"Walker, what is going on?" Garmadon said, "I can feel tension around you."  
   
"I'm perfectly fine." Walker shot back, "I have a handle on things."  
He put his hood back on, tearing it some on his headpiece, "Why did you call for me, sensei? I was focused in my room."  
   
Kole roughly slapped Walker on the back, "You're my buddy, buddy." He said, "We're picking up dinner from Chen's!"  
   
Walker coughed and rubbed his eye, "Oh… very well. But you're driving."  
   
Kole downed the last of his soda and let out a huge burp, "Yep, you got it, Walker!" He threw his empty can across the room and watched it land on the floor after hitting a lamp.  
   
"Oh my gosh, Kole…" Xerox grumbled, getting up to go fetch it, "You really don't make my life easy, do you?"


	2. And So It Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Walker usually makes a good buddy, but not this time, poor baby.

Kole and Walker were sitting at a stop light in the middle of New Ninjago City. Neither of them had spoken since pulling away from the coffee house parking lot where they worked. The Bounty was parked around the back so the crew could live and work on the same property.

Walker took an audible deep breath and turned his body further towards the passenger side window. His head hurt tremendously, both physically and mentally. He drew back his hood and removed his heavy metal headpiece.  
   
"Ouch…" he mumbled. He rubbed his head where the headband had caught on his auburn hair.  
   
As the light turned green, Kole abruptly slammed on the gas, thus startling Walker.  
   
"Hey, why don't you pay attention while driving?" Walker asked flatly.  
   
Kole didn't answer. He just slammed on the brakes, resulting in Walker hitting his face on the dashboard.  
   
"Dammit Kole!" Walker huffed, "Just drive like you know how!"  
   
Kole breathed in to retort sarcasm but instead just breathed out slowly. "I'm sorry, Walker…" He looked at him in the rearview mirror, "…about the bet thing."  
   
Walker met his eyes in the mirror and squirmed a little bit, "Why's that?" He replied in a cold manner.  
   
Kole looked back at the road and stretched out his shoulders. "Because… your powers are so much more… burdensome than mine." Kole admitted, "I've felt so stupid watching you hide out in your cave all day stressing out."  
   
Walker let out a tiny smile and adjusted his body again, this time facing Kole. He put his feet on his chair and tucked his knees close to his chest.  
   
"Well, I watched you stumble around the house when you walked past my door… I know you're not used to walking anymore." Walker teased.  
   
It was true. Ever since Kole could use his powers independently of the Mallet of Mass, he's floated everywhere he goes.  
Kole cleared his throat, "Ahm, well, that's the thing about gravity…" He trailed off and glanced at his friend, who was looking rather lethargic. "It's nothing compared to you, Walker." He went on, "You've made yourself sick trying to shut off your powers- isolating yourself from others just to get away from their thoughts."  
   
Walker chuckled softly and shielded his eyes from the bright city lights. "I suppose you're right…" he said, "but the days almost up, I'll detox tomorrow."  
   
Kole nodded in agreement, but he was still bothered by his best friend's state- he was a mess and Kole had indirectly caused it.  
   
"I just feel guilty, okay?" Kole stated, "You're a wreck, man! I shouldn't have even proposed this stupid challenge… How was I to know you not using your powers for a whole day would screw you up so much?"  
   
Walker opened one eye and glanced at Kole, "Well I didn't have to take the challenge…" he muttered, "it's partly my fault… just like how you can't walk well, I can't control my powers as well without this stupid headband!"  
   
Kole finally pulled into the parking lot outside of Chen's. He turned off the car and unbuckled his seatbelt. He reached over to the passenger side and placed the headband atop Walker's head like a tiara. "There you go." he said playfully.  
   
Walker looked up with half closed eyes, "Gee, thanks."  
   
Kole got out of the car and started towards the restaurant doors with an uneven gait. He stopped and rubbed the back of his legs in an attempt to alleviate the awkwardness.  
   
"Hey, Kole!" Walker cried as loudly as his hoarse voice and current strength would allow, "Are you gonna let me out!?"  
   
Kole had forgotten about Garmadon's car- the passenger side door wouldn't open from the inside anymore.  
   
"Oops, sorry pal!" He rushed over and opened Walker's door with a 'click'. He then extended his hand towards Walker, the other arm resting on top of the car. "Need a hand?"  
Kole unbuckled Walker's seatbelt and helped his physically drained friend out of the car. He swung Walker's arm over his own shoulder. "Are you sure you don't want to stay in the car?" Kole grunted as he adjusted to walking whilst propping up his friend.  
   
Walker let out a large heavy breath, "No way, I have to be your buddy."  
   
Kole laughed as they both entered the noodle house. They stumbled over to the pickup counter quietly laughing all the while.  
   
"Hey there, little lady, " Kole said to the girl behind the counter.  
   
"Long time no see, Skylor." Walker added, awkwardly slurring his words.  
   
Skylor brushed off her apron, "Oh hey there… what brings you two here?"  
   
Kole stood up straight, "We're here to pick up an order- it's under Garmadon. Sorry we're late."  
   
"Oh, it's no problem!" Skylor said, "Just let me check the computer here… Hmm… that's odd." She raised an eyebrow at the computer screen, "There's and order here for Garmadon, and for a boat load of food may I add, but it was only placed five minutes ago."  
   
Kole and Walker looked at each other with confusion.  
   
"What? How's that?" Kole said, once again readjusting Walker's arm and shifting his weight. "Xayn said it was already ready."  
   
Walker flopped his head onto Kole's shoulder, "He must have ordered it after we left so he could blame us for it being late... I remember there being a flier in the kitchen this morning."  
Walker felt his knees getting weak. Kole felt this shoulder getting pulled down further as Walker's weight became increasingly dead.  
   
"What a dingle." Kole huffed.  
   
••••  
   
Walker and Kole stood around for awhile and watched the world go by. The restaurant was crowded by the dinner rush; both dining in and taking out. Kole looked at Walker's face that was awkwardly buried in his shoulder.  
   
"Hey, buddy?" Kole used his free hand to tap on his head. No response. "Walker?" He asked, "Are you okay?" He slung Walker into a nearby chair, "Walker!?"  
   
His body was completely limp. Kole looked into his eyes- they were wide open and staring at nothing.  
   
"JAY!?" Kole shrieked.  
   
He grabbed Walker's headband off the floor where it had fallen a few moments before. He smoothed out Walker's hair and placed the metal band on his head, adjusting it to sit right.  
   
"Oh man, how do I work this thing?" Kole said quietly, his voice cracking. He fiddled with the unmarked buttons and dials on the side panel. Finally, after what seemed like an ignorant eternity, Kole pressed the right combinations of buttons. He panicked and pressed his ear to Walker's chest. He heard some shallow breathing and a faint heartbeat.  
   
"Oh man, what have I done!?" Kole thought.  
   
In desperation, he went back to fiddling with the headpiece. He found a dial with the numbers 0-100 on it. Just as he cranked it up to 100, Walker snapped right out of it. He inhaled a huge audible gasp of air and roughly grabbed the chair he was seated in.  
   
"AHA!" Kole exclaimed, "I figured it out!"  
   
Walker rubbed his eyes and looked around, "What happened?" He asked. He felt his headband humming on his forehead, "Kole! You cheater! Did you put this here!?"  
   
"Uh, yeah!" Kole put his hands on his hips, "I saved your life! …somehow."  
   
 Walker took off his headband and examined it, "And it's on 100!? You could've melted my brain!"  
   
"Oh shush- put that thing back on!" Kole snapped, "The bet is off."  
   
Walker gently put his headband back on and turned it to 50, "Fine… But I could've won."  
   
Kole rolled his eyes as the side of his mouth formed a slight involuntary smirk, "Sure you could."  
   
He pulled a chair up next to Walker. As he sat down, his ponytail and hoodie strings slowly started rising. He let out an exaggerated sigh- he was relieved he no longer had to focus so hard on blocking his powers.  
   
"How're you feeling now?" Kole asked, nudging Walker with his shoulder.  
   
"Better…" Walker closed his eyes and tilted his head back ever so slightly. "I think coming to a crowded restaurant wasn't the best idea for me in my current condition."  
   
Kole was about to reply when Skylor interrupted.  
   
"Here you are, guys." she said, "All boxed up and ready to go!"  
   
Kole thanked her and started to grab some of the bags. He managed to hold them all for one trip but Walker still needed assistance.  
   
"Oh right, the bet's off." He thought. He then proceeded to levitate Walker to help him to his feet.  
   
"Do you need any help?" Skylor asked. "Here, I can get some of those for you… wouldn't want the sauces to spill." She grabbed some of the bags from Kole's hand and walked to their car. The boys followed, them both doing an awkward shuffle somewhere halfways between floating and walking.  
   
"Here you go." Skylor said, placing the bags in the back seat, "Here let me help you with him." She moved towards Walker who looked was quite literally asleep on his feet. Kole and Skylor managed to stuff Walker, with minimal damage, into the passenger side of the car. Kole buckled him in and closed the car door.  
   
"You know, I'm sorry about the whole thing with the tournament… You guys are pretty cool." Skylor put her hands into her apron pockets and looked down at the asphalt, "I should've gone with what my heart was telling me… which is opposite of what I ended up doing."  
   
Kole patted her in the back, "It's okay, I get it. Your dad sure was an intimidating guy, if I have to be honest... I guess it's a good thing he made that assistant of his do most of his bidding."  
   
Skylor laughed, "Yeah, Clouse sure was a kiss ass… You know he waited on my dad's hand and foot willingly? He was pretty annoying."  
   
"Welp, guess I better head back… The crew is starving by now." Kole cracked open the car door and sat down, one leg still outside.  
   
"Don't be a stranger, okay?" Skylor said, "You guys are pretty cool, I want to get to know you guys better…" She bent over to get eye level with Kole. "And, I don't know why I didn't notice at the tournament but, you two are really cute together. I can tell you care a lot about him."  
   
"Oh, um…" Kole rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at the sleeping Walker, "Uh, thank you…"


	3. Sh*t Hits The Fan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *VOMIT WARNING*  
> for all you squeams

"Finally! I thought we were gonna have to starve!" Nia exclaimed as her dishevelled roommate stumbled through the front door.

"You won't believe what happened while we were out." Kole said.

"Well, you guys do do a lot of stupid stuff…" Nia recounted, "I'm pretty sure I'll believe it."

"Heh heh…" Kole laughed nervously, "Granted, that's true… but this was only partly my fault."

Nia snatched the bags of food from Kole's hands. "DINNER'S HERE, GUYS!" she yelled across the ship. She walked toward the table as Kole followed. "Where'd Walker go?" Nia asked, looking around.

Kole squinted his eyes, "Uh, yeah about that... You're strong right?" He tilted his head and sized up her body, "I mean, you sure look buff…"

Nia rolled her eyes, "You're just jealous because I can bench more than you."

Kole straightened his shoulders, "Okay, let's not go there again."

Nia laughed and opened the boxes. Steam rose out as the heavenly smell of various foods filled the room.

"Woah! You got my favorite!" Lloyd came into the room with his blanket on his shoulders. He had bare feet and was dressed in his pajamas- black sweatpants and a tank top reading "Copy Cat" in bold blue lettering. He ran over to a box and breathed in deeply.

Nia pushed him away, "Xerox, go get plates from the kitchen." she said, slightly annoyed, "And then go find everyone else."

Lloyd narrowed his eyes and gave Nia a stare. The whole crew was pretty hangry at this point. He sighed and headed toward the kitchen.

The others slowly came flooding into the dining area. Xayn took his assigned seat at the far corner of the table. The only people to have assigned seats were him and Xerox. They had made a big mess with their elemental powers at their spots and now the others refused to sit at them. Xayn pulled at this black tank top as he looked at the green stained wood. It had chemical burns and just looked really nasty altogether. He stretched across the table and grabbed a napkin from the bag. He opened it up, placed it at his seat and raised an eyebrow. The huge stain was somewhat embarrassing as well as a reminder that he couldn't control his powers as well as he liked.

"That's uber gross." Kye stated flatly. He put up his hand and stuck out his tongue.

Xayn jerked his head, still getting used to his new body. "Well it's not like everyone's powers can just dry up like they were never there… Do me a favor and evaporate, will you?" He turned his head away from Kye and waved his hand.

"Jeez, sorry." Kye sat down as far away from Xayn as possible. He wasn't that angry, but he knew it was best to give him space.

Xayn glanced over at Kye. He frowned a little and looked back at the table.

"Hey, buddy!" Kole exclaimed with a surprise hug attack from behind. Xayn was startled and nearly fell off the bench.

"Kole!" Xayn scowled, prying his teammate's arms off from around his neck. They both fell to the floor with a loud crash.

"Are you attempting to suffocate me?" Xayn rubbed his neck and adjusted his shoulder.

"No." Kole replied, "...But I need your help. Walker fell asleep in the car and I'm too tired to levitate him."

"Too tired, eh?" Xayn got to his feet and brushed off his shorts. "Okay, lead the way."

••••

"UGH THAT'S DISGUSTING!" Xayn cried out. The sight of Walker caught him off guard.

"Oh, don't act so surprised…" Kole rolled his eyes. He stared down at Walker's sleeping face. "Ew." He shuddered.

Walker was not a graceful sleeper to begin with and now he was absolutely exhausted. His friends stared at his face; it was covered in a glittering purple and blue slime.

"What is that stuff?" Xayn asked, eyes wide.

Kole cautiously poked his cheek with his finger, "Ahh it's sticky!" he shrieked.

"It's coming from his mouth…" Xayn remarked, wiping his own leaking toxins from his face.

"Uh yeah… AND HIS EYES! WHAT THE HELL?" Kole stepped back and tried not to act scared, "Ew, just pick him up and bring him into the bathroom, please."

"I don't want to touch him, you touch him." Xayn whined.

"I already did and my finger is tingling!" Kole shook his finger around not sure of where or how to wipe off the unknown substance. "Besides, you're metal now- I don't think it'll hurt you."

"Hmm fine." Xayn huffed. And with that he scooped up Walker and carried him bridal style into the Bounty.

By that time, the dinner table was very lively. Lots of banter could be heard throughout the room along with dishes clanging and varied laughter.

The table lowly went quiet as Kole and Xayn, who was still carrying Walker, entered the area. Xayn froze while everyone stared.

"As you were." Kole ordered, breaking the silence. He and Xayn continued their trek until they reached the bathroom. They laid Walker down in the bathtub to the best of their ability.

Kole got a washcloth from under the sink, ran it under warm water, and squeezed it out. "Here Xayn…" he said, trying to hand it to him.

Xayn reached toward the cloth. He was unable to grab it- his eyes were rolled toward the back of his head as he took short rapid breaths.

"What the heck, dude?" Kole asked, trying to suppress his laughter.

Xayn took another breath and let out a loud sneeze, spraying a toxic mist all over Walker's sleeping body.

"Xayn!!" Kole scolded, "Say it don't spray it!" He quickly started stripping Walker of his infected hoodie. Holes had already started to burn through the fabric. He threw it at Xayn's head, "Here, take your hoodie back."

Xayn pulled the jacket off of his face, "Forgive me, Kole." He said sheepishly.

Walker woke up as Kole started gently cleaning his face.

"What's going on??" Walker said, batting at Kole's tattooed arm. His voice was still raspy and his nose was running. "A-am I in the bathtub?"

Kole and Xayn looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"That's not all-" Kole giggled.

"Look in the mirror!" Xayn said. He handed Walker a handheld mirror- he felt his smile widening.

Walker gasped and adjusted his body from lying to sitting. He touched his face and continued staring in the mirror. "What is this stuff and why have you guys smeared it all over my face!?" He looked to his friends for answers.

Kole threw the now nasty rag and hit Walker snack in the face. "I was trying to clean it off, nerd." He teased. "Look closer."

Xayn grabbed the mirror and gestured toward the fresh slime leaking out of Walker's nose.

He immediately covered his nose in embarrassment, "What the heck is that stuff!?" He shrieked, his voice cracking.

"That what we were hoping you could tell us, actually." Xayn was still a bit giggly.

"What are all these red dots?" Walker asked concerned.

"Oh, uh…" Xayn shifted his shoulders, "I sneezed on you."

Walker's face fell flat. He was sort of annoyed by his friends, but he knew they had the best intentions. He grabbed either side of the bathtub and tried to pull him himself to a standing position. He fell back down and roughly coughed. He held his neck with desperate gasps for air. His coughing fit quickly turned to a violent puking session.

Xayn panicked and lifted Walker out of the tub so he wouldn't choke. His arms were under Walker's, holding up his dead weight. Both boys were covered in shimmering violet and ultramarine slime. The whole bathroom was a disaster and smelled like sour candy.

Kole held his nose and floated above the whole scene. His attempts to avoid the mess helped some, although the whole bathroom was essentially a splash zone.

Between the screams and violent retching, Garmadon soon appeared.

"What in the world is going on in there!?" He cried, "I was sleeping!"

Xayn and Kole gave each other a panicked glance.

"Sensei!!" The said in unison.

Kole used his powers to unlock the door and slide it open. "Please help us."

Surely it would be easy to imagine the shock and utter confusion that Garmadon felt at that moment. Three of his pupils were in a locked bathroom together- all of which were covered in what looked like glitter glue. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. All four people were just standing still staring at each other.

Kole slowly floated downward. His feet barely touched the ground as he got eye level with his sensei. "Something's wrong with Walker and, honestly, I'm kind of scared." His tones were hushed and he had sympathy in his eyes.

Garmadon blinked a few times and shook his head. "Well, alright… let's take a look at him, then."

Xayn dragged Walker across the bathroom, into their bedroom and dropped him, ungracefully, onto the floor.

"Ow…" Walker said, rubbing his head.

Garmadon knelt next to him and put his hand to Walker's forehead. "Hmm… you feel normal. Well, a little cold actually." He turned to Kole who was frantically trying to wipe himself off. He took no hesitation in stripping down to his underwear.

"Tell me exactly what happened, Kole. And don't leave anything out." Garmadon was using his 'serious dad voice' with his students.

"Well--" Kole was cut off by the sounds of a glittering fountain, courtesy of Walker's mouth.

Garmadon roughly grabbed Walker and propped him up on his lap. "Go get some towels."

Xayn shot right up and sprinted down the hall.

"Kole!" Garmadon scolded, "You know something! What is it!?"

Kole out his hand over part of his face, "Well… uh… you see…"

"SPIT IT OUT, BOY."

"Okay! Okay!" Kole sat down next to his sensei, "Me and Walker made a sort of bet... We wanted to see if we could go a whole day without using our powers but it tired us out putting up a block."

Garmadon rolled his eyes in an overly dramatic fashion, "Are you crazy? Tell me what else you know."

"Well..." he began, "He was hiding out in his cave all day... I thought he was just being weird again so I didn't think anything of it."

Garmadon lovingly brushed Walker's hair out of his face and handed him the tiny washcloth. "Come to think of it, he did seem a bit off when you two left earlier... I would've never sent him with you if I would've known this was going to happen."

Kole patted him on the back, "Don't blame yourself, Sensei G... Nobody knows the limit of Walker's weirdness levels."

Garmadon shook his head, "As your sensei it is my duty to watch over you and protect you. You are all like sons to me, I care about you just as much as Lloyd- my own flesh and blood."

Kole sniffed and tried to brush off a tear that was welling up in his eye. "Aw, sensei..."

Garmadon ruffled Kole's hair, "Don't get all emotional on me, boy. I was merely stating fact." He adjusted Walker who had fallen back asleep. "Now help me get these nasty clothes off this poor boy."

Within a few moments, Walker was lying in Kole's bed in his underwear. He was fast asleep covered in a thin blanket. Walker's bed was on the top bunk above Kole's, and everyone was too tired to try and hoist him up there.

"Where's Xayn, anyway? I thought he was supposed to get towels." Kole scratched his head and peeked down the hall. He heard metallic giggling as he made out two figures at the very opposite end of the dimly lit hallway. "Oh, brother…" he groaned.

"What is it?" Garmadon asked, not really caring about the potential response.

"Oh, nothing... It's just Xayn and Pixal again…"

Garmadon rolled his eyes, "I shouldn't have let him and Walker build her that new body…" he reflected. "…But I suppose it's only fair." He slapped Kole on the back and passed him in the doorway he was leaning on. "Put your pajamas on and climb up to Walker's bed, okay? And make it quick, please."

Around that time the other ninja were retiring to their room. Xerox, who was already in his PJs, climbed right into his bed that was in between the two bunk sets.

"Welp, catch you in the morning, losers." He yawned and threw his baby blanket over his face.

"See ya mañana." Was Kye's muffled reply as he pulled his baby blue sweater up over his head.

Kole, who was draped over the side of Walker's bed, rolled his eyes. "You're not Spanish, Kye…"

"So?"

"I dunno... Nevermind."

The remaining waking ninja were startled as Xayn bust through the doorway. He was a pretty clumsy boy who wasn't keenly aware of his own enormous size. His eyes were squinted from elation and a small smile formed on his face. He giggled quietly to himself as he climbed into his bottom bed.

"What's up with you?" Kye said, leaning over the side of his bed- his face was poking right into Xayn's bunk.

If he was still in his first body, he would have blushed wildly. "Oh, nothing…" he lied, "I'm just happy."

Kole turned over in the bed he was in, "He and Pixal were making out… You guys are so pure it hurts."

Kye got back up on his bed and blushed, "Oh…" he said quietly. Kye, second up to Lloyd, was the baby of the 'family'. He was generally very timid and highly emotional. This wasn't helped by the fact he was the water ninja- during heated battles, inhuman sized tears would stream down his body as his expression showed that of true rage. He was no doubt a very powerful ninja.

"Okay if no one needs this anymore I'm gonna shut off the light." Kole stretched his arm as far as he could to grab the light bulb string. "Good night, guys."

He lied awake in the darkness with his eyes wide open. He touched his body where Walker's 'mind slime' had splashed all over him. He felt... tingly. It wasn't a bad kind of tingling it was more of a soft ticklish feeling along with a mint-like cooling effect.

_"This is going to be a long night."_ He thought. He turned over in the bed and tried to get some sleep.


	4. Deeper Investigation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kole is not usually a jerk, ok?

Most everyone was gathered at the table once more for breakfast the following morning. Xerox looked like he woke up on the wrong side of the bed- he had his baby blanket wrapped around his head and shoulders like a ninja mask. His arms were crossed as he plopped down at his assigned seat on the bench. It rattled the table, sloshing people’s milk out of their bowls.  
  
"Where are my Reese's Puffs?" He scowled. He loved Reese’s Puffs; a little too much maybe.  
  
Nia rubbed his shoulder, "What’s the matter, Xerox? Didn’t you sleep well?"  
  
"I dunno..."  
  
"Well, you slept for nearly ten hours."  
  
She poured some cereal into Lloyd’s bowl. Everyone else was nearly finished with breakfast at this point.  
  
"Shouldn’t somebody go check on Walker?" Xayn asked, holding his bowl up to his mouth. "It’s been a while..."  
  
Kole shot up, "Oh no! I'll do it!" He was very concerned about his best friend. He still felt somewhat responsible and it weighed heavy on his heart.  
  
"Or I could..." Kye said, grabbing his bowl along with Nia's. "What happened last night, anyways?"  
  
Kole ran his fingers through his hair, "I'm not so sure, really..." He looked at his hand that was still feeling a bit funny. "Walker is sick with something, though, I'm not sure what it is."  
  
"I think I know what it is."  
  
"Don't sneak around like that, dad!" Xerox was startled by his father's sudden appearance. He violently shoved a huge spoonful of cereal into his mouth and narrowed his eyes, "I'm trying to eat here, what're you looking at?"  
  
Garmadon raised an eyebrow and took a sip of his coffee. He was still too tired to go down the road of correcting his moody son.  
  
He sat down on the bench next to Kole."Look, Kole..." He started, "I was doing some thinking earlier... about Walker, I mean."  
  
Kole squirmed a little in his seat, "Um, yes?"  
  
"Well, I'm pretty sure it has to do with his elemental powers."  
  
Kole tensed up his shoulders a bit, "Well, wasn't  that part a bit obvious?"  
  
"Hush boy, I'm still thinking." Garmadon drank more of his coffee and looked around the room, his eyes showing that of deep thought.  
  
"Sorry, Sensei." Kole whispered.  
  
He and Garmadon sat together for a few solid minutes as the others at the table slowly left one by one. Kye came back and cleared the table quietly as to not disturb his fellow ninja in their investigation.  
  
Kole breathed loudly, "But why is it a physical symptom?" He asked after a long silence.  
  
"That's exactly what I was wondering..." Garmadon replied, scratching his head. He then examined his hand and flexed his fingers.  
  
"Wait... Does your hand feel a bit weird?" Kole asked, noticing his behaviour.  
  
"Why, yes, actually. It was tingling a bit more last night after we put Walker to bed." Garmadon stood up and drank the last bits of his coffee, "Why do you ask?"  
  
Kole's eyes widened, "Because most of my body feels like that... It was from Walker's puke."  
  
Garmadon shuddered, "Well... that's disturbing. At least it's not just me." He laughed a little bit, "I thought I was just getting old."  
  
••••  
  
"Wake up, sleepy head!" Kole said, gently shaking Walker's shoulder.  
  
Walker tossed over in Kole's bed and groaned, "No..." He said, almost inaudible. He rubbed his forehead and opened his eyes slowly. He flinched at the sight of Kole, whose face was uncomfortably close to his own. "Ahh, Kole, go away!" He batted at his friend and pulled the blanket over his face.  
  
"No, way, man. You need to get up now or you won't sleep tonight." With one strong tug, Kole ripped the blanket clean off of Walker's body.  
  
"Hey!" He shouted. "Give me that!" He grabbed at the blanket to no avail. He looked down at the floor and quickly scanned the room. His eyes widened as he looked at Kole, then back at his own body. "Why am I in your bed?!" he snapped, "And why am I in my underwear?!"  
  
Kole couldn't help but laugh at his friend's utter confusion. "Hey, hey, calm down, buddy." He put his hand to Walker's forehead, "Are you feeling any better?"  
  
Walker grabbed his hand and threw it off of his head. "Of course I'm okay... What are you talking about?"  
  
"Uh... Do you not remember any of last night?"  
  
"No... well, maybe?" Walker got up and stumbled over to his dresser. "Wait, so that wasn't a dream, then?"  
  
"No way, pal." Kole confirmed, "You threw up all over me, Xayn, and the whole bathroom!" His expression gained a mischievous smile. "Sensei G was there, too..." He said, "He took all your clothes off."  
  
Walker froze and turned bright red, "Oh." he whispered, "Alright then."  
  
Kole stepped over and slapped Walker on his pale, freckled back. "It wasn't that bad-- He went total dad on you and put you to bed..."  
  
Walker smiled a bit as he searched for a top to wear. He enjoyed the thought of Garmadon being his dad. He loved his own parents, of course, but his sensei had taken such good care of him for years- he could go to him with any question or problem and he did his best to help solve it.  
  
He continued to search the drawer for his black base layer. "Hey, where's my undershirt?"  
  
"All your clothes got really nasty last night... It's in the wash now." He rolled his eyes, "Do you really need to wear that thing every day?"  
  
Walker's face showed strong annoyance, "Yes, Kole." He emphasized his friend's name. "As a matter of fact, I do. I enjoy it, ok? It protects me from the sun."  
  
"Well, I'm pretty sure you can go one day without it." Kole scoffed.  
  
Walker tucked his arms around his chest and frowned. He took a deep breath and filled up his lungs with air. "You just don't understand me, Kole."

"Nobody does, pal."


	5. Loss

The hot sun beat down on Xerox's back as he held himself up with his arms. This time of the day is used for training and Garmadon made sure everyone stretched thoroughly before their usual high-impact routines.  
"Dad, how long do we have to do this?" Xerox asked respectfully. "Not to be rude or anything, but... It's really hot." He arched his back causing small beads of sweat to roll down his face.

Garmadon looked over all his tiring students, "Could you at least pretend that you see the benefit in stretching?" His request was met with various groans and mumbling. "This is a time for deep thought," he retorted, "Let your bodies relax and let your mind fully be in control..."

Xayn shot his head upwards, breaking his pose. "Speaking of mind, has anyone seen Walker? Is there a reason he has not joined us for our usual activity?"

Kole shot his head up as well, "When I last saw him, he was getting dressed... but that was a while ag--"

"Silence!" Garmadon scolded, "What is it going to take to get your heads into it, hmm?"

More groaning and a few faint, half-hearted apologies followed the question. It was clear the team was not feeling their best that day and they were not afraid to let him know.

Garmadon rolled his eyes, "Oh alright..." he sighed, "Everybody stand up. Xayn? You go check on Walker. The rest of you take five, I need more coffee."

Xayn stood up to his full, towering height and reached his hands out in front of him. He was still getting used to his new body and was self-conscious about his size. This wasn't the part that was new to him really, no, the boy had always been very large. He was the kind of tall that hung off the end of the bed, the sort of height that makes you duck through doorways and never have enough "leg room". He also had quite a sturdy build which made him come across as intimidating to most strangers. All that was old news to him. For Xayn, it was the shiny, new titanium that covered his body that took getting used to. Every time he looked at himself he was reminded that he was a robot. He knew he was a robot, of course, but sometimes he missed seeing that pale, "normal" body when he looked down... Back then there wasn't a constant reminder of just how different he was from his brothers.  
Xayn sighed and lightly scratched the back of his head. He walked across the deck of the Bounty and headed toward the ninja's shared bedroom. He peered around the corner in search of his teammate.  
"Hello? Walker, are you okay?" He questioned loudly through the hallway, for he didn't know the exact location of his friend. "You have not yet come to join us for our daily exercises."  
Xayn heard no reply to his concerns. "Walker, where are you?" He called again. Still, there was no reply. He vigorously checked all around the Bounty. He stopped to listen closely to his surroundings- something he'd actually learned from Walker. He perked up upon hearing a faint whimpering sound coming from elsewhere in the Bounty. "Of course!" Xayn thought. Without wasting any time he rushed toward Walker's cave, continuing his search. He slowly slid open the door with caution, "Walker? Are you in here?" he called out in nearly a whisper.

"Xayn?" a small voice responded from within. Walker emerged from the shadows of the closet. He looked absolutely awful- he looked like he'd been crying? But it was the same blue and purple slime from the night before.  
Xayn flinched a bit at the sight of his brother, "Um, Walker...? What happened? Excuse me for stating the obvious, but, you look terrible." He sat down on the floor and crossed his legs. He figured it might take a while to coax Walker out of his cave.

Walker slowly wiped his cheek on his sleeve. He crawled out of the closet to meet the nindroid in the doorway. He was extremely weak causing him to collapse in Xayn's lap. "Where is Xerox?" he asked, his voice nearly a whisper, "I need Xerox."

Xayn wasn't too sure about Walker's request. After knowing him for a while, though, he'd learned to just trust Walker and the strange things he says and does. "Should I go get him?" he asked, "You are sort of leaning on me right now..."

Walker nodded slowly. He tried to lift himself from Xayn's lap but quickly fell back down.

"Here, let me help you," Xayn offered. He gently grabbed Walker by the shoulders and laid him softly on the floor. "I'll be right back, okay?" He stood to his full height and rushed back outside where the others were still gathered. "Xerox!" Xayn alerted him. "Xerox, Walker says he needs you!" He roughly grabbed his teammate's shoulders trying to convey the urgency.

Xerox shook his head in confusion, "Wait, what?" he asked, "Why, what for?"

"I don't know, he just says he needs you... He doesn't look very good."

"O-okay..." Xerox's face turned progressively more concerned as the moments passed. "Where is he?" he asked while he was being roughly dragged through the layout of the Bounty.

"He's over here." Xayn practically threw Xerox over to Walker, who was still lying in the doorway where he'd left him. He took the opportunity to go meet the others outside, yet again. He didn't want to leave Walker alone, but he figured the rest of the team would want to know what was going on.

Xerox bent down and kneeled beside Walker, "Oh man... Are you okay? Xayn said you were asking for me!" There was a slight panic lacing his voice.

Walker looked up and, upon seeing his brother's face, smiled. "Yes..." he reported, "But are you?"

Xerox looked confused, "Yes, of course, I am, silly, I'm fine..." he stated, "What are you talking about?" He started thinking about all the things that might be wrong with him. He felt pretty healthy so that couldn't be it. "Wait... Did you have a vision about me or something?" he proposed, "You know your future perception isn't exactly... Well, it hasn't been very reliable in the past."  
It was true- though Walker had glimpses into the future, they weren't exactly accurate. His elemental powers would sometimes gather information and create future predictions based on the most likely outcome of current events. The glimpses were usually short and very sporadic as well.

Walker shook his head at Xerox's proposition, "No, no..." he negated, "Not your future... But something in your past."

Xerox grimaced, "How long ago?" All his school day memories were suddenly flashing through his head. He worried about what embarrassing thing he did years ago was about to be exposed.

"Not long at all, Lloyd..." Walker managed to prop himself up against the door frame in a sloppy seated position, "You're really hurting. In here..." he weakly tapped his fingers to Xerox's forehead, then down to his heart, "...but mostly in here."

Xerox shook his head, "N-no," he stammered, "...I'm fine, Walker." He was lying. He had been hurting a lot, especially in his heart. He was amazed- Walker had a strange way of being right on the money a lot of the time.

Walker put his hand on the younger's shoulder and hung on it. "Lloyd... We all miss Morro, but this is tearing you apart inside," he declared, "You really need to talk to somebody about it."

As Garmadon's first son, Morro was like a big brother to all of the ninja. He lovingly teased them and acted as their enabler. He was there for them when they were upset or needed advice. He always had stories to tell about mistakes he'd made in hopes to share his hard-earned wisdom with them. Everyone grew close to him and loved him a lot.  
Even though he was adopted, Xerox had known him all of his life. The word "love" was not strong enough to describe how he felt for his big brother. The two of them had this strange, inseparable bond that was taken away all too soon by the fierce battle with the Anacondrai cultist warriors. Everyone's wounds were still fresh but, out of all the ninja, Xerox was hit the hardest. He lost his life-long best friend and older brother. Morro was his rock- the man he looked up to for nearly everything. There were many casualties in that awful battle, but the death of the Elemental Master of Metal was, by far, the most devastating.

Walker looked his friend in the eyes and stared deeply inside of them, beneath the brilliant violet color. Though these eyes had successfully disguised themselves countless times before, they did nothing to veil the stinging pain and restlessness that, ever so tightly, wrapped itself around his soul, trying to choke out his spirit. "Lloyd..." Walker's tone was serious but caring, "You have to stop dwelling on it every second of the day... For my sake as well as your own." Walker realized being around Xerox-- who was in a strained mental state-- had really put a stress on his powers.

"Did... Did I do this to you?" Xerox asked, looking Walker over.

Walker shook his head in response. "No-- well, at least, not all of it." He wasn't sure what, exactly, was causing these things to happen to him but he was confident it had to do with his elemental powers being overworked. He took his hand off Xerox's shoulder and sat up a little straighter. "Don't feel bad. Kole had a role in destroying me, too," Walker comforted.

"Oh, he did?" Xerox tried to nervously laugh it off. He felt terrible thinking he was the sole cause of his brother's suffering.

Walker smiled, "He always does, he's my best friend."

Both of the boys had a decent laugh about that statement. Even though Kole's intentions were all in good fun, he had a way of accidentally taking things too far. The poor boy didn't know his own strength sometimes.

"In all seriousness," Xerox said while easing out of his laughter, "Are you going to be okay here? You know, on the floor... by yourself?"

Walker shrugged, "Yeah, I should be..." he sighed, "Besides, I'm sure Pixal or someone'll sit with me for a while." He put a knee up to his chest and held onto his leg. "Lloyd, before you go..."

"Yes?"

"Just... Focus on the present, okay?"

Xerox looked down and nodded slowly.

"You know I'm always here to talk if you need it." Walker assured, smiling the best he could, "We're more than a team, we're a family, and I'm always here for you, little bro."

Xerox sniffed and wiped a tear from his eye before it even had a chance to escape. "We make each other stronger, right?"

Walker nodded, "Of course." He laughed just the slightest bit before commenting further. "Y'know we've been through hell together, Xerox. I don't want to sound pessimistic but I don't think we'll ever catch a break. We're ninja- we've dedicated our lives to protecting all of Ninjago and it's not an easy task." He moved his left leg to match the right one and held onto both. "I, for one, am proud of who we are-- of who we've become! Remember us back when your uncle was our number one enemy? You were still a kid!"

"Heh heh... Yeah. I wasn't much help, was I?" Xerox could only laugh out of pity for his younger self. He tried so hard to help the team and, when he discovered he was the prophesied purple ninja, fight alongside them. He wanted to prove to his father that he was ready to do everything the others did. Unfortunately, this misdirection of focus only hindered his training and caused him to be more burdensome than he was assistant. Xerox breathed deeply. He felt a bit better than he had since losing Morro. "Thank you, Walker." he nodded, acknowledging his friend. As soon as Walker smiled back, Xerox turned and sprinted out of the ship. He wasn't ready to work hard and make the best of his day.

 


End file.
